An apparatus for shrinking a cover onto a palletted stack of goods can comprise a shrinking device, a conveying system for the pallatted stack of goods transported past the shrinking device, a lifting device positioned under the shrinking device for raising the palletted stack of goods and a suction device or air pump located in the vicinity of the lifting device.
In an apparatus for this purpose as described in European Open Patent Application 0 133 462 the palletted stack of goods, if necessary already provided with a heat-shrinkable cover foil, is transported on a conveyor, e.g. a roller conveyor, until it reaches the vicinity of the shrinking device.
There the palletted stack of goods is lifted with a lifting device, which is formed as a scissors lift table positioned under the conveyor, so that the lower edges of the shrinkable cover hang freely over the lower side of the pallette.
The suction device located on the scissors lift table then draws the free edges of the cover against the lower side of the pallette and the wrap is shrunk onto the stack by the shrinking device (e.g. a hot air blower) so that a so-called undershrunk portion is formed. Then the palletted stack of goods again is taken away on the roller conveyor and the remainder of the shrinkable cover foil is shrunk snugly against the stack.
A driverless conveyor system with electric tractors and carts moved by it are used for the transport of goods inside the factory. The electric tractors are guided and controlled by an induction loop located below the floor, i.e. they are also started and stopped using it. Using this transport or conveyor system together with a shrinking device, the lifting device and the suction device must be located under the floor so that the electric tractor can bring the stack of goods located on the cart under the shrinking device. For such purposes there is required an expensive construction and assembly for the lifting device and the suction device or air pump.